TRADEMARKING A TRAGEDY

According to the Orlando Sentinel, an attorney for Trayvon Martin's mother confirmed she had filed trademark applications for two slogans -- "Justice for Trayvon" and "I Am Trayvon." – slogans to be used for such things as DVDs or CDs.

This is a horrendous abuse of the name, and in fact, the very life and the death of a young man whose life was tragically ended by circumstances yet unknown.

Jerome Hudson, a spokesman for Project 21-The National Leadership Network of Black Conservatives, says people like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton" “…have used this death for all the wrong reasons. They're dancing on his grave," he said.

We must be concerned about justice for everyone. That includes, both Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman, without prejudice!

Racists and Race-baiters are to be found on left as well as on the right, perhaps more so. We must reject language of race and contain ourselves to the language of “right or wrong,” “legal or Illegal.”

We must reject prejudice on every side, and adhere to the principles of the rule of law, and the legal premise that one is innocent until proven guilty. That principle does not change with circumstances. Let’s get the facts out, apply the law, and let the chips fall where they may. And in the meantime, we must reject racism and race baiting wherever it may be found.

Never--never-- should we trademark a tragedy as was done in this case. It is the worst possible dishonor that can be paid to a young man created in the image of God whose life was unnecessarily and tragically ended. It is abominable.

SOCIAL OR ECONOMIC ISSUES?

There is an ongoing debate among political “talking heads” about whether the Republican presidential candidates should talk about “social” issues or “economic” issues, as if they were two unrelated areas of concern. This is a very shallow view, because the truth is that our economic problems are a product of our social dysfunction.

Let me explain. For example, Rick Santorum has come under fire for being too concerned about abortion, and marriage, yet the greatest indicator of family poverty is the issue of the single parent home. Disregard for the historic place of marriage in the culture, and the casual acceptance of sexual license outside of the marital covenant has done more to propagate poverty than any other single issue.

All the government programs established to address the issue have simply exacerbated the problem, because it is treated as an economic problem instead of a social concern. Though government programs have treated the symptoms, they have also created an atmosphere for poverty to spread and grow like a metastasized cancer. The economic programs may lessen the pain temporarily, but only a return to traditional social values will cure the disease.

When families stay together and are committed to helping one another, and holding one another accountable, economic efficiency is realized and ”waste” is not an issue.

The social values that have provided the most prosperous economic conditions the world has ever seen must be restored if the economy will ever thrive again, otherwise, we’re just medicating the patient with financial morphine, while the disease is slowly killing him.

If Americans don’t understand this, then we must educate America using whatever platform is available. Social and economic issues are not two unrelated areas of concern. We must address the social issues if there is to be any permanent solution to our economic woes.